Ong Poh Lim (b. 1923, Kuching, Sarawak–d. 17 April 2003, Singapore) was one of the greatest badminton players of the ...

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Wong Peng Soon (b. 17 February, 1917, Johor Baru, Malaya–22 May 1996, Singapore)1 is acknowledged as one of the greatest badminton players of all time. He was a four-time winner of the All-England singles title as well as a member of the Malayan teams that dominated the Thomas Cup from the late 1940s to the late ’50s.2

BackgroundWong was born in Johor Bahru, Malaya, into a large and wealthy family with a love of badminton. Among his siblings, one sister and five brothers were also prominent badminton players.3 Throughout his career, Wong was a tenacious competitor known for his well-crafted strokes and graceful footwork.4 He made it a point to study his opponents before playing against them. Off the court, he was a disciplinarian who adhered to a rigorous training routine that included sessions of skipping lasting more than an hour. He maintained a strict diet and never stayed out late in the evening.5

In his teens, Wong joined the Mayflower Badminton Party in Singapore, where his meteoric rise began.6 After his marriage to Doreen Poi Chim Neo on 3 August 1947, he moved from Johor Baru to Singapore.7

Career highlightsNicknamed “The Great Wong”,8 Wong excelled at singles badminton. He rose rapidly to the top of men’s badminton in Malaya, where he was crowned the Malayan Open singles champion eight times (1940, 1941, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952 and 1953).9 He also held the Singapore Open title seven times (1938, 1939, 1940, 1947, 1948 , 1949 and 1951).10 In 1950, Wong was the first Asian to win the All-England Championships, and he won the title again in 1951, 1952 and 1955. Wong’s most remarkable accomplishments, however, are considered to be the three Thomas Cup titles that Malaya held between 1949 and 1955.11

In 1949, the badminton associations of Singapore and Malaya sent a combined team to the inaugural Thomas Cup. Singapore was represented by Wong and Ong Poh Lim. On the 28-day steamship journey to the tournament in Preston, England, Wong and his teammates were forced to find ways to maintain their fitness levels by training on board the ship. The team’s progress to the final was marred by Wong’s semi-final loss to David Freeman, the only player ever to beat Wong in a Thomas Cup match. In addition, Wong sustained an injury during the match that prevented him from playing in the cup final. Led by captain-manager Lim Chuan Geok, the team eventually overwhelmed Denmark 8-1 to clinch the championship title.12

At the 1952 Thomas Cup championship, the Malayan team defeated America 7-2 to retain the cup. The team on this occasion included veterans Wong and Ong as well as Ismail Marjan. In 1955, Wong led the Malayan team to its third and last cup title, defeating Denmark 8-1 at the Singapore Badminton Hall. This achievement was considered remarkable because Wong was 37 years old at the time, an age by which most badminton players were considered past their prime.13

Wong’s great rival during his career was his contemporary Ong. While Wong was supreme in the singles game, Ong was considered a more versatile player because of his achievements in both the singles and doubles games. Wong was unable to defeat Ong in championship doubles matches, and on several occasions, also lost notable singles matches to the latter.14

Wong retired from competitive badminton after the 1955 Thomas Cup championship. He turned professional the same year and became a badminton coach for the Singapore Youth Centre.15 He coached the Malayan team in its bid to retain the Thomas Cup in 1958, but Malaya lost the title to Indonesia.16 Wong later took up coaching stints in Thailand, Canada and Japan as well as at the Haarlem Badminton Club in Holland in 1966.17

HonoursIn 1956, Wong was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to sports in Malaya, the first Singaporean athlete to receive the honour.18

The following year, the International Badminton Federation Handbook placed Wong on its list of “immortal players of the past”, putting him in the company of other badminton greats such as George Thomas, after whom the Thomas Cup was named, and David Freeman.19

In 1962, in the first-ever list of National Day honours, Wong was awarded the Sijil Kemuliaan (Certificate of Honour), the nation’s second-highest award and the highest award ever bestowed on a sports personality.20

In 1985, the International Badminton Federation conferred on Wong the Distinguished Service Award for his services to the sport. The award was presented at a luncheon held at the well-known Fatty Weng’s Restaurant at the clubhouse of the Singapore Badminton Association at Guillemard Road.21

Wong was posthumously inducted into the Singapore Sports Museum Hall of Fame in 1986 and the International Badminton Federation (now called the Badminton World Federation) Hall of Fame in 1999.22

In 1999, Wong emerged the winner ­– ahead of Olympic silver medallist weightlifter Tan Howe Liang – in The Sunday Times’ ranking of the top 50 athletes in Singapore, and was named Singapore’s greatest athlete. At a ceremony organised by the newspaper, then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong presented the award to Wong’s widow.23

DeathIn November 1981, Wong suffered a stroke and partial paralysis.24 Although he regained mobility and continued to travel to badminton tournaments in the region, his health slowly declined. Wong was bedridden in his final years, and passed away from pneumonia on 22 May 1996, at the age of 78.25

The information in this article is valid as at 2010 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.